A Bronx Tale

I was inspired.

Years ago I watched a movie, and I only remember one scene. 

I described the scene to Thomas and asked him to race me to see who could find the name of the movie on The Google.

I used these key words:  dad tells son to see if the girl on the date unlocks his door for him when he walks around the car and looks in the back window quote movie.  

I am always a woman of few words. 

Yah, his search words were:  dad son girl unlock. 

He had it before I even got to “date”.

Whatever.

And from a “Bronx Tale”…

Sonny: Alright, listen to me. You pull up right where she lives, right? Before you get outta the car, you lock both doors. Then, get outta the car, you walk over to her. You bring her over to the car. Dig out the key, put it in the lock and open the door for her. Then you let her get in. Then you close the door. Then you walk around the back of the car and look through the rear window. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in: dump her.

Calogero 'C' Anello: Just like that?

Sonny: Listen to me, kid. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in, that means she's a selfish broad and all you're seeing is the tip of the iceberg. You dump her and you dump her fast.

That one scene changed the way I looked at things.  I try to do things for others that are not about me, but about helping somebody else.  Like the scene in the movie, it’s the little things that matter just as much as the big things.  They define your character.

From Friday Night Lights…I remind myself of this daily…

Coach Taylor: I know that and you oughta be proud of that. I am. Your teammates are proud of you. It's about character. It's about striving to be better than everybody else.

Vince: Coach, my dad just got out of prison. He's staying with me at my house. And I can't stand him. My mom she asked me to forgive him, to be better. And you're asking me to be better. I don't know how to be better because he never taught me how! He never taught me to be better! He's not around. And I'm supposed to be better!?

Coach Taylor: Listen to me. I said you need to strive to be better than everyone else. I didn't say you needed to be better than everyone else. But you gotta try. That's what character is. It's in the trying.

Damn, I love that show.

Anyway…

Last Friday I went to pick up tickets from the movie theater.  I was in a very big hurry and as I was walking toward the parking lot I got stuck behind the slowest, slowest 60ish year old couple.  We were on a narrow walkway so I couldn’t dart around them.  I watched as they slowly walked closer to each other and then their hands casually brushed and he took her hand and they looked at each other and smiled. 

They noticed me behind them and moved over to the side.  I said thank you and I popped around them and took off for the van.  When I was in the van I fiddled with my phone and when I glanced up they were getting in the car directly in front of me.  They walked up to the passenger door, he reached down and opened it, she turned and looked at him and they smiled.  He touched her hand as she slid on to the seat.  He walked around the back of the car.  In today’s modern world, he had already unlocked his door when he unlocked hers.  So she performed an acrobatic move and actually climbed all the way over his seat and pushed opened his door.  He got in and they looked at each other, and once more shared a smile. 

I was mesmerized.  I sighed.  I was inspired. 

“You need to strive to be better than everyone else.  I didn’t say you need to be better than everyone else.  But you gotta try.  That’s what character is.  It’s in the trying.”

Today I strive.  Today I build character.  Today I inspire others.